Board president: Coosa Christian closure rumors false

Published: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 5:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 5:45 p.m.

The president of the Coosa Christian School Board said Tuesday that the school is staying open, despite rumors it would close in mid-December or at the end of the fall semester.

Matthew Mills said the board recently made changes in the school’s administration and facilities to balance its budget, and that he doesn’t know the source of the closure rumors but wants to shut them down.

“We hear it every fall, we hear it every spring,” Mills said, “and it’s hurt us.”

Mills said the school’s Etowah Avenue Day Care campus will close Dec. 19, and those children will have the option of transferring to the main campus. The six-member school board also recently dismissed administrator Mike Aldridge, who Mills said had been in the job for a year-and-a-half.

He said enrollment at Coosa Christian, one of the primary ministries of CrossPoint Community Church in Gadsden, has declined in the last two years, and that the board made the changes to balance the school’s budget. He said the board appreciates Aldridge’s efforts, and that a meeting was held last week with parents to explain the changes and make clear they were not about wrongdoing on anyone’s part.

Coosa Christian has 250 students in K-12, Mills said, with 55 full- and part-time employees in the day care and the school.

Mills said in Tuesday’s phone interview that the board would not have made the changes if the school was going to close.

“Changes were made so we could continue operating,” he said.

Mills said the school has been in operation for 40 years, and hopes to be around for 40 more.

“Our goal is to complete our mission: giving kids a Biblical world view and strong academics,” he said. “Our kids excel Biblically and academically, and that’s what we want.”

<p>The president of the Coosa Christian School Board said Tuesday that the school is staying open, despite rumors it would close in mid-December or at the end of the fall semester. </p><p>Matthew Mills said the board recently made changes in the school's administration and facilities to balance its budget, and that he doesn't know the source of the closure rumors but wants to shut them down.</p><p>“We hear it every fall, we hear it every spring,” Mills said, “and it's hurt us.”</p><p>Mills said the school's Etowah Avenue Day Care campus will close Dec. 19, and those children will have the option of transferring to the main campus. The six-member school board also recently dismissed administrator Mike Aldridge, who Mills said had been in the job for a year-and-a-half. </p><p>He said enrollment at Coosa Christian, one of the primary ministries of CrossPoint Community Church in Gadsden, has declined in the last two years, and that the board made the changes to balance the school's budget. He said the board appreciates Aldridge's efforts, and that a meeting was held last week with parents to explain the changes and make clear they were not about wrongdoing on anyone's part.</p><p>Coosa Christian has 250 students in K-12, Mills said, with 55 full- and part-time employees in the day care and the school. </p><p>Mills said in Tuesday's phone interview that the board would not have made the changes if the school was going to close. </p><p>“Changes were made so we could continue operating,” he said. </p><p>Mills said the school has been in operation for 40 years, and hopes to be around for 40 more. </p><p>“Our goal is to complete our mission: giving kids a Biblical world view and strong academics,” he said. “Our kids excel Biblically and academically, and that's what we want.”</p>